Seles Questionable For Open

NEW YORK — More than two months after being stabbed in the back, Monica Seles still can't hit a tennis ball and might not be able to defend the U.S. Open title she has won the last two years.

"Doctors have told me there's just no way to know," Seles' agent, Stephanie Tolleson, said Friday. "She's continuing her rehabilitation, and there's no real effective way to anticipate when she'll be ready to play again."

In a statement released through a publicist Thursday, Seles said: "I wish I could play right now. But the rehabilitation is a slow process, and I have not yet been able to hit the ball, let alone play tennis."

Seles, undergoing rehabilitation at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo., said she would be unable to play in a tournament July 26-Aug. 1 at Stratton Mountain, Vt. The Open is Aug. 30-Sept. 12 in New York.

A statement released jointly on Friday by Drs. Richard Steadman and Richard Hawkins said, "Her shoulder continues to improve regarding motion and strength, and her improvement is monitored on a daily basis."

While reiterating they have never put Seles on a timetable, the doctors said Seles was working hard to rehabilitate her shoulder, which, "as it reaches full recovery, will let her know when she will be able to return to competition."

"My doctors and I have to see what happens in the next few weeks to determine if I will be able to play the U.S. Open," Seles said.